Thousands of years of stoney history, in the pouring rain.

July 20th, 2007

London, Stonehenge, and Bath

Today was my first day trip out of London. The other four scholars and I headed to South Kensington at 8 AM, where we were picked up by our Anderson Tour bus at close to 9. It was pouring rain from the time we woke up until late in the evening.

The drive from London to Stonehenge took about two hours, and would probably have been scenic had the visibility been more than about six feet. When we arrived at Stonehenge, we got our audio tours, and were told we had about forty to forty-five minutes before the bus left. I was sporting my Windwall, and still freezing. It was probably about fifty degrees, maybe a little less, and the wind was beating down at seemingly unprecedented speeds.

It was really cool seeing Stonehenge, and I immediately thought of Tess of the D'Urbervilles, just as I had the night before, so it was extremely ironic to me when the last track on the audio guide read a passage about Thomas Hardy's heroine who met her fate at Stonehenge. Seeing Stonehenge was really neat, and I think it is something that everyone who comes this way should see once, but I do not have any desire to go back until I am either with my family or with the family I will probably build in the future. It is a true marvel, and thinking about how some of those stones were erected is truly perplexing, considering how long they have been here for. The audio guide offers some interesting theories that are really entertaining. Guests to Stonehenge are also afforded wonderful photo opportunities, as no one is allowed to go within about fifty or sixty metres of the structure. This means that pictures taken there will not be filled with strangers. I also think that going on such a crappy weather day meant that the volume of visitors was extraordinarily low.

Alas, forty-five minutes was all that was needed. I wish I had the chance ot listen to all of the extras on the audio guide, but aside from that small wish there really would be no need for anyone to remain at Stonehenge for longer than a half hour or forty-five minutes, unless they were in the midst of some cultural celebration or were trying to transfer the stones to a painted canvas. I am glad that I finally went to Stonehenge though.

After Stonehenge, we drove another hour or so to bath. Along the way, our tour manager pointed out several interesting things, and we found out that Sting and his wife and children live just a few minutes from Stonehenge. Madonna and Guy Ritchie also have a place in the countryside there.

The puddles we rode through on the way from Stonehenge to Bath splashed water to the very top of the bus windows. Julia was FREAKED out.

We got to bath and the view was ridiculous. The city is situated perfectly, and is a Gothic lovers' heaven. After driving through row and row of identical-faced architectural marvels, we arrived at the site of the ancient Roman Baths. We took a very neat tour of the baths and the museum that has been built up around them. The baths have not been cleaned or anything since discovered, and are pretty filthy up close, but it is so cool to put your hand over the water and feel the contrast between the 100+ degree water and the 50 degree air.

After the museum, we set off to hit all three gastronomical splendours that our tour manager suggested. We started with a baguette from some award winning shop. I had a delicious panini. Then we went to Sally Lun Buns, a quaint little restaurant with a bun recipe that dates from the year 1100. We had the most ridiculous waitress to ever work in the industry. I do not even want to write an account about her rudeness and neglectful attitude. Needless to say, we did not leave a tip at all. The buns were marvelous, although I suspected that they had to have been in order to have drawn people for more than 900 years.

After Sally Lun, we went to the San Francisco Fudge Factory. I know, San Francisco, in England. But it was the best fudge I have ever had. They have a "fudge of the day," and hand out free samples. It's amazing!! I also got to try caramel fudge for the first time in my life.

The drive back, which should have been an hour to an hour and a half, took nearly five. The bus driver had actually driver longer than he was legally allowed to, and we were all forced to get off at the same stop and find out own way home. Apparently the rain that fell from the sky this day was much more than Londoners are used to. We later found out that there were major tube delays, and many trains were canceled due to the flooding of railroad tracks. As there was a tube stop nearby, it was not a problem at all. On the way back, we passed twenty-six breakdowns, an incident (accident), and apparently every tour bus driver in the land was facing the same problem ours was. Upon exiting, I tipped both the driver and manager a pound, and it seriously made both of their days. I love the power that tipping wields over here.

When we got back, there was not much time before Rebecca and I had to leave for the Harry Potter release party. We went to the Waterstone's at Trafalgar Square, along with THOUSANDS of others. We had to wait in line until 1 to get out books, but luckily we met a very pleasant London couple in line to talk to about Harry Potter, the UK, and the States for the entire time. It was a ton of fun.

I came back to my dorm room, read one page of Harry Potter, then decided I should get some sleep before really getting into the book, since I had to wake up pretty early for Oxford in the morning.